Biography
As one of the leading toxic tort and product liability defense attorneys in the United States, Evelyn has tried, managed, and settled thousands of cases across the country. She has litigated complex cases involving toxic exposures, agriculture, transportation and general liability. Evelyn primarily practices at the state, federal, and appellate court levels in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. As national counsel to several corporations, she manages and coordinates litigation nationwide.
Evelyn thrives in dynamic and fast-paced environments, adapting quickly to the changing demands faced by her clients’ businesses. She is frequently called upon to undertake the most challenging and high-risk cases because of her successful case resolution and efficient case management. She has secured dismissals and cost-effective resolutions in an overwhelming majority of her cases before reaching verdict, despite preparing each to go all the way.
Professional Expertise
Evelyn has a proven track record for developing strategy and executing innovative solutions for high-risk litigation. She has served as local, regional, and national counsel for over seventy corporations and is currently national counsel to a global logistics company, a global manufacturer of wire and cable products, a global manufacturer of cranes and lifting equipment, and a manufacturer of commercial laundry machines. A few of Evelyn’s clients include CertainTeed Corporation, Dana Corporation, United Parcel Service (UPS), Shell Oil Company, Flowserve Corporation, Foseco, Inc., and Gardner Denver. She also advises and serves on insurers’ litigation panels for a variety of claims, including AIG, Allied World, Aspen Insurance, EMC Insurance, Fireman’s Fund/Allianz, Gallagher Bassett, Grange, Great American Insurance Group, Hiscox, Liberty Mutual, Meadowbrook, Nationwide, Pure, Resolute Management, Shelter Insurance, The Hartford, Travelers, and Zurich.
Toxic Tort and Product Liability
Evelyn has resolved thousands of cases involving asbestos, silica, mold, benzene, and chemicals. She has defended cases involving dozens of products, including: wire and cable; brakes and linings for automobiles, trucks, motors and cranes; gaskets in automobiles, trucks and equipment; construction materials, joint compounds, building wall panels and wall boards; floor tiles and sheeting; cement; sewer pipes and pipe coverings; heat transfer products; pumps and packing; valves, steam and gas turbines.
Transportation
Evelyn defends global and national trucking companies, their drivers, and insurers against catastrophic injury and property damage claims. She is experienced handling cargo claims under the Carmack Amendment for food products, including fresh produce.
Appellate
Evelyn actively defends cases in the appellate courts in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. She is instrumental in the Florida dockets, where she leads her litigation areas in aggressive motion practice and enforcement of new legislation. She tries multiple cases in different counties and pursues and defends appellate review for her clients as necessary. A sample of her representative experience includes:
- Genuine Parts Co. v. Parsons, 917 So. 2d 419 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006)
- Flowserve Corporation (f/k/a Durametallic, Inc.) v. Bonilla, et al., 952 So. 2d 1239 (Fla. 3d DCA 2007)
- Williams, et al., v. American Optical Corp., et al., 2008 Fla. App. LEXIS 12031 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)
- Witkiewicz, et al v. ACandS, Inc., et al., No. 4D08-1170 (Fla. 4th DCA)
- American Optical Corporation, et al., v. Spiewak, et al., Nos. SC08-1616 and SC08-1640 (Fla. Sup. Ct. cases consolidated 2008)
- American Optical Corporation, et al., v. Williams, et al., Nos. SC08-1617 and SC08-1639 (Fla. Sup. Ct. cases consolidated 2008)
Education
- Florida State University College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1998)
- Law Review; Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law; Journal of Transnational Law and Policy
- University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A., with honors, 1994)
Bar Admissions
Courts
- Supreme Court of Alabama
- Florida Supreme Court
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Professional Affiliations
- Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (Member, 2010 - present)
- President (2022 - present)
- President-Elect (2021 - 2022)
- Board of Directors (2014 - 2017, 2019 - present)
- Vice President (2020 - 2021)
- Diversity Committee (2013 - present)
- Long Range Planning Committee (2012, 2013)
- Finance Committee (2014)
- Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (Member, 2009 - present)
- Chair, Law Practice Management
- Vice Chair, Toxic Tort & Environmental Law Committee
- Vice Chair, Membership Development Committee
- Georgia Representative, State and International Representatives
- Member, Professional Women's Forum
- International Association of Defense Counsel (Member, 2008 - present)
- State Coordinator in Georgia for iCivics (2014 - present)
- International Insurance Law Association (Member, 2019 - present)
- Alabama Defense Lawyer’s Association (Member, 2008 - present)
- Florida Defense Lawyer’s Association (Member, 2008 - present)
- National Association of Women Lawyers (Member, 2005 - present)
- Georgia Defense Lawyer’s Association (Member, 2003 - present)
- Board of Directors (2007 - 2012)
- Participant, Trial Academy (1998)
- GDLA Newsletter Editor (2012)
- DRI (Member, 2001 to present)
- Board of Directors (2021 - present)
- Chair, Asbestos Medicine Seminar (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022)
- Chair, Talc Litigation Seminar (2019, 2020, and 2021)
- Board of Directors, Regional Representative for Southeast (2008 - 2011)
- Women in the Courtroom Committee (2007 - present)
- Chair (2009-2011)
- Diversity Committee (2007 - present)
- Chair, Blockbuster Speaker Committee, Annual Meeting (2008 - 2010)
- Chair, Women in the Profession Seminar (2010)
- Vice Chair, Women in the Profession Seminar (2009)
- Marketing Chair, Women in the Profession Seminar (2008)
- Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee (2000 - present)
- Alabama State Bar (Member, 2000 - present)
- The Florida Bar (Member, 1999 - present)
- Atlanta Council Younger Lawyers (Member, 1998 - 2006)
- Board of Directors (1998 to 2006)
- Atlanta Bar Association (Member, 1998 - present)
- State Bar of Georgia (Member, 1998 - present)
- New York State Bar Association (Member, 2014 - present)
- Lawyers Club of Atlanta
Honors
- America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™
- The Best Lawyers in America© (2015-2023)
- Insurance Law
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
- Georgia Super Lawyers (2014-2015)
- Georgia Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2005-2006, 2009-2011)
- Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Fellow
- Top Rated Lawyer in ‘Mass Torts Law,’ American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell (2013)
- Most Powerful and Influential Women of Georgia, Georgia Diversity Council (2014)
Trials
- Schmidt vs. Ameron International Corp., et al.
- Phillips vs. Belvedere Contracting, Inc., et al.
- Maxwell vs. Bennett Auto Supply, Inc., et al.
- Temkin vs. Allied Glove & Safety Corp., et al.
- Fernandez vs. American Optical Corporation, et al.
- Grandis vs. American Optical Corporation, et al.
- Buntz vs. Borg Warner Corporation, et al.
- Berga, et al., vs. Albany International Corp., et al.
- Boudreaux vs. Peter Clark
- Woodward, et al., vs. Advance Auto Parts, Inc., et al.
- Sluder vs. A.W. Chesterton Company, et al.
- Santana vs. Bondex International, Inc., et al.
- Flynt, et al., vs. Alfa Laval, Inc., et al.
- Staier, et al., vs. Owens-Illinois, Inc., et al.
- Mendez vs. Central Refrigerated, et al.
- Pope vs. Owens-Illinois, Inc., et al.
- Nicolella vs. Banner Supply Co., et al.
- Mallia vs. Benett Auto Supply Co., et al.
- Bentley vs. American Optical Corp., et al.
- Lustgarten vs. A. W. Chesterton Co., et al.
- Lagueux, et al., vs. ACandS, Inc., et al.
- The Trust Company of Virginia as Executor of the Estate of James L. Perkins, et al., vs. AC&S, Inc., et al.
- Piskur v. USG, et. al.
Presentations
- "Redefining Superwoman," Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Las Vegas, Nevada (January 2023)
- “The Best of Both Worlds - How In-Person and Online Marketing Complement Each Other and Can Translate Into Business,” Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC) Winter Meeting, Palm Desert, California (March 2022)
- "Strengthening Top-Notch Client Relations in the Post-Pandemic Landscape," Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Women in the Law Committee By Women For Women Seminar, Roanoke, West Virginia (March 2022)
- Program Chair, Asbestos Medicine Seminar, DRI (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021)
- Program Chair, DRI Talc Litigation Seminar, Washington, DC (2019 and 2021)
- “Client Development and Client Maintenance: Thriving in the New Normal,” Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Webinar (January 2021 and February 2021)
- "Update on the EPA/TSCA Chrysotile Risk Assessment: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar, Virtual (November 2020)
- “Bankruptcy Trust Work Up for Asbestos and Talc Cases,” In-house Meeting (March 2019)
- “Implicit Bias: Measure It, Understand It, and Defy It,” 2018 FDCC Annual Meeting, Maui, Hawaii (July/August 2018)
- “Succession Planning: Protecting Your Firm & Clients’ Legal Interests in Times of Transition,” IADC/FDCC Joint Law Firm Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois (April 2017)
- “Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Transparency Issues in Florida,” Annual Legislative Conference, American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), Palm Beach, Florida (November 2016)
- “Jurisdictional Update: Florida (2015-2016),“ Defense Asbestos Litigation Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 2016)
- “Proving the Share Case: Witnesses and Document Proof,” Defense Asbestos Litigation Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada (June 2015)
- “In-House/Insurance Corporate Perspective,” Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit, Perrin Conferences, San Francisco, California (November 2014)
- “Back to the Future: Combating the Reemergence of Lung Cancer Cases in Asbestos Litigation,” Winter Meeting, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (2014)
- Speaker, Litigation Management College for Claims Professionals, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (2013 and 2014)
- Program Chair, Women in the Law Seminar, DRI (March 2010)
- “Ethics for the Everyday Lawyer,” Missouri Organization of Defense Lawyers (June 2009)
- “Women in the Law,” Annual Meeting, Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (June 2009)
- Program Vice Chair, Women in the Law Seminar, DRI (March 2009)
- “New Plaintiff and Product Investigation - For the Novice, the Experienced, and In Between,” Asbestos Medicine Seminar, DRI (2007, 2008, and 2009)
- Program Marketing Chair, Women in the Law Seminar, DRI (2008)
- “Women in the Law,” Alabama Defense Lawyers Association (2008)
- “In-Depth Discovery Issues,” Mealey’s Benzene Litigation Conference (2008)
- “Skits and Suds,” Continuing Legal Education Seminar for Young Lawyers, Georgia Defense Lawyers Association (2008)
- “The Business of Practicing Law: The Hard Reality of What Law School Does Not Teach You About The Business of Law and Marketing,” Florida State University College of Law (2007)
- “Role of Plaintiff in Trucking Mock Trial,” Preeminent Trial Lawyer Seminar, DRI (2007)
- “Getting Down to the Nitty Gritty of a Silica Deposition,” Silica Medicine Seminar, DRI (2006)
- “The Asbestos Deposition Primer - For the Novice, the Experienced, and In Between. What Makes a Great Plaintiff’s Deposition When You Take the Time To Do It Right,” Asbestos Medicine Seminar, DRI (2006)
- Quarterly presentations at The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Multi District Litigation meetings